Don't judge a book by its cover -- you may have a lot in common with someone who, on first glance, seems very different from you. Unscheduled time and imaginative freeplay is fun. Reading is cool. It's wonderful to discover a good friend.
Positive Role Models
a lot
Ivy and Bean each have great qualities: They're fun-loving, adventurous, creative, spunky, smart, supportive of each other, imaginative, curious, and adept at making up their own fun and games. They're also open to being friends with someone different. Bean is prone to (harmless) pranks and typical sibling rivalry, and she steals money from her older sister and tries to cast a spell on her.
Educational Value
very little
Kids see how you can can navigate a neighborhood by going through backyards.
Parents Need to Know
Parents need to know that Ivy + Bean is a multiple award-winning book about making a new friend, learning about differences, and sharing an adventure. On the surface these girls appear to be very different. One wears dresses and reads books; the other has a sassy mouth and likes to get dirty. Some sibling issues occur, including fights with an older sister, stealing her money, playing tricks on her, and calling her names, such as "tightwad." With its oversize print, frequent black-and-white illustrations, and easy-to-follow plot, this first book in a consistently funny and engaging series is a great starter chapter book for kids just emerging from being early readers. Audiobook version read by Cassandra Morris.
Parents should read this book before giving it to their children
This book sends poor messages to children about what is and isn't acceptable behavior. It glorifies bad behavior and behavior that is nice or good is shown as boring. There is also something dark about this book that is unsettling. Its one thing for kids to have a vivid imagination, but when you have them talking about using dead frogs and worms to cast spells ( they cast a spell on Bean's sister out of revenge)... Its just twisted and not appropriate at all. The book doesn't even redeem itself with good writing. It was a painful read. Please do not waste your money. It has no educational or moral value and I don't think that anyone should read it, especially not children.
Parents beware and do your research. Depending on your views and beliefs you may find that the content in this book is not for your family. My views come from a Christian standpoint. I will be honest, the things that drew me to this book were, that is would be a great way to start my daughter who is advanced in reading into chapter books (other than the ones at home) and her name is Ivy. We sat down in the bookstore and she pre-read a few pages of chapter 1. I skimmed the book and it seemed harmless enough. I should have dived deeper when she was intrigued by the book BUT she said "mommy, the eyes of the girls looked bad." As my daughter progressed through the book, excited to read, she had progressed all the way to page 47. As she read out loud, I asked her if she was understanding the content as her comprehension is rather good. She started telling me about Ivy who was studying/practicing to be a witch and Bean who was mad at her sister and how the two of them were devising a plan to get back at her sister. Ivy needed a dead frog, and so on. Needless to say, I was very alarmed with the content of this book and started reading reviews (which I should have done prior to buying this book). I do not feel that this book is appropriate for any child. It has content that is too mature and pushes an agenda of witchcraft, hate and divisiveness. This type of content is not the type of content young minds should absorb especially in a world that exhibits hate and divisiveness on a daily basis. This books sends a strong message against loving one another as well as to teaching to work out your problems in a sneaky and malicious manner. I know that some find it humorous, but what our children take into their spirit and soul will be lived out and may manifest itself in such an unfathomable and tragedy manner. I will return this book to the store or discard it as I do not want to be the cause of another child reading this material.
What's the Story?
Seven-year-old Bean gets caught playing a trick on her older sister and manages to escape thanks to the help of an unlikely ally: a "quiet" neighbor girl named Ivy. Then Ivy takes Bean to a secret hideout and reveals she's a witch-in-training. When Ivy offers to cast a "dancing spell" on Bean's older sister, Bean is thrilled. As the girls work together on their plan, a friendship is born.
IVY + BEAN makes the jump to chapter books easier with its large-print, easy-to-follow text, expressive illustrations -- and, most important, two colorful 7-year-old girls. Reminiscent of the classic Beverly Cleary series about Ramona, here's another book series about friendship, silliness, pranks, adventure, getting in trouble, and challenges with siblings that's a sure hit with kids.
So typical of real life, these girls, who are neighbors, are urged by their respective mothers to play together. Ivy appears quiet, dainty, and dutiful, and Bean is wild, dirty, and full of sass. Not until they join forces against Bean's older sister do they discover each other's unique qualities. Ivy is actually studying to become a witch. Bean knows how to move through the neighborhood via backyards. Here's to the beginning of a beautiful friendship.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about the old adage, "Don't judge a book by its cover." Ivy and Bean had no interest in being friends when they met because each thought the other was too different. What do they discover about each other?
What other books have you read that feature strong girls as main characters?
How are Ivy and Bean more similar in personality than different? Do you have friends who are just like you or different in many ways?
Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by
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Common Sense Media's unbiased ratings are created by expert reviewers and aren't influenced by the product's creators or by any of our funders, affiliates, or partners.
